Bussey holds a master's degree in interdisciplinary studies and a bachelor's degree in English literature. She is an independent writer specializing in literature. In the following essay, Bussey demonstrates how Anton Chekhov uses structural elements to portray the theme of perception.

Anton Chekhov is regarded as a master of the short story for his innovative structural techniques and his treatment of important themes. In "Gooseberries," Chekhov demonstrates both by using a specific structure to help convey a theme. "Gooseberries" contains a story within a story; the main character relates a tale about his brother to two of his friends. Some authors employ this technique to make the inner story more interesting, to create distance between the reader and the inner story, or to allow the story to be told by a certain kind of narrator. In "Gooseberries," however, Chekhov takes the reader into the framing story, then...